Fargo seed company settles with OSHA over employee injury

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A Fargo birdseed production company has reached a settlement with a federal agency that investigated a severe and life-altering injury to an employee. The probe by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration stemmed from an incident in August when a Red River Commodities employee suffered multiple lacerations and the partial amputation of his leg when caught in an operating grain bin auger. OSHA cited the company with numerous violations of the agency’s grain handling, confined space, machine safety and electrical safety regulations. Inspectors also found that the company did not sufficiently train workers to recognize hazards and take proper safety measures. In addition to implementing new training and safety protocols, the company must pay a $225,000 penalty.